The Blood Maiden

Chapter 05 | Heartbeat

Elaire's POV

"Ate Elle, sigurado ka na ba rito?"

"Mmm," sagot ko, habang nakatayo sa harap ng malaking lawa.

So I found out that Misa's quest was to bring back a water monster's heart. I knew for sure that they chose water because Misa's power is fire.

The lake I found was just outside Lumien, by a village called Denrin. Usap-usapan kasi na dahil sa sobrang lalim ng lawa, napagdesisyunan ng isang halimaw na manirahan dito. Karamihan pa nga ng mga bampira sa Denrin ay nasiyahan pagkatapos malamang pumunta kami rito para paslangin 'yong halimaw.

They claimed that the monster has cursed the lake and the nearby springs, making the water undrinkable.

Under the clear blue sky, the water sparkled with light and maybe... a bit of magic.

Yumuko ako at dinama ang tubig gamit ang aking mga daliri upang makumpirmang mayroon ngang kapangyarihan o mana sa ilalim ng tubig. Mana grazing my fingertips felt like feathers lightly touching my skin. The power within the water came from the deep. I knew this because while the surface looked beautiful and sparkling, the lake's depth looked haunting. It is blue, almost black, until no light from the sun could reach it.

With my palm lightly touching the water, I whispered...

'Beneath the water's veil, where mysteries lie untold. Bestow the breath I need, the air I behold.'

"Sub undarum veste, ubi arcana, celant. Confer mihi spriritum, aerem peto clarum..."

Nagsimulang lumiwanag ang tubig nang tawagin ko ang kapangyarihan nito. Nanatili akong nakatuon dito, hindi nagpapatinag sa patinding silaw.

"In profundo tenebroso..." 'In the depths of the dark.'

Power from the water met with the power in my hand.

"Magia fert suum..." 'Let magic takes its course.'

The light from the water traveled to the veins of my palm. It formed white webs underneath my skin, and through my veins, mana climbed up to my arm, my chest, and spread inside my lungs. Unti-unting naglaho ang liwanag ng lawa nang tawagin ito ng aking mga ugat at inilipat ito sa loob ng aking mga baga.

"Rogo fluentes ut mormorent secreta..." Lumuwag ang aking ginhawa sa kapangyarihang nilalawak ang abilidad kong huminga. "Sine vulnus amarum."

'I ask the currents to whisper its secrets...' I took in my last breath of air. 'Without remorse.'

Tumayo ako at saka lang pinakawalan ang hanging hinugot ko nang pumailalim na ako sa tubig pagkatapos akong malakas na lumundag sa gitna ng lawa.

It was a spell to make us breathe underwater.

Agad binalot ng tubig ang aking bawat pandama maliban sa aking pang-ginhawa.

My vision blurred a bit and all the sounds I heard were muffled. I could still move my arms and legs but it's not as easy as when I was on land. And while I was surrounded with water, I started to slowly, carefully, breathe it in.

The spell worked. I didn't get suffocated and water inside my lungs didn't hurt. Hindi nga ako sigurado kung tubig ba itong giniginhawa ko, pagka't para lang din akong humihinga ng hangin.

My hair that moved along the calm current covered a part of my face when I turned to Misa who just jumped in the lake.

Pagkatapos ikisap-kisap ang kanyang mga mata, kasunod siyang tumawa, manghang-manga.

My ears could only pick up on the soft muffles of her laugh. I thought it sounded funny.

Then I started to concentrate the power inside me, and gathered mana on the soles of my feet. I was weightless underwater, and so I had to use power to make my body slowly sink.